Recombinant equine herpesviruses

Abstract

The present invention relates to a non-naturally occurring, recombinant equine herpesvirus. The invention also relates to a recombinant equine herpesvirus capable of replication which comprises viral DNA from a species of equine herpesvirus and foreign DNA, the foreign DNA being inserted into the equine herpesviral DNA at a site which is not essential for replication of the equine herpesvirus. The invention also relates to DNA encoding the US2 protein of an equine herpesvirus. The invention relates to homology vectors for producing recombinant equine herpesviruses which produce recombinant equine herpesviruses by inserting foreign DNA into equine herpesviral DNA. The invention further relates to a method of producing a fetal-safe, live recombinant equine herpesvirus.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A recombinant equine herpesvirus which comprises a foreign DNA inserted into an equine herpesvirus genome, wherein the foreign DNA is inserted into a non-essential region, and is expressed in a host cell into which the virus is introduced under the control of a human cytomegalovirus immediate early (HCMV IE) promoter. 
     
     
       2. The recombinant equine herpesvirus of claim  1 , wherein the foreign DNA encodes a polypeptide. 
     
     
       3. The recombinant equine herpesvirus of claim  1 , wherein the foreign DNA encodes  E. coli  β-galactosidase. 
     
     
       4. The recombinant equine herpesvirus of claim  1 , wherein the foreign DNA encodes  E. coli  β-glucoronidase. 
     
     
       5. The recombinant equine herpesvirus of claim  1 , wherein the foreign DNA encodes a detectable marker. 
     
     
       6. The recombinant equine herpesvirus of claim  2 , wherein the polypeptide is equine influenza virus neuraminidase or equine influenza virus hemagglutinin. 
     
     
       7. The recombinant equine herpesvirus of claim  2 , wherein the polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of: equine influenza virus type A/Alaska 91 neuraminidase, equine influenza virus type A/Kentucky 92 neuraminidase, equine influenza virus type A/Prague.